Quoted from maccafan

after all it's people who are into McCartney that buy all this material, and it's those same people that come to his shows!

No it's not! Most of the people you see at a McCartney show don't know all his material. They're Beatles and Wings fans. They know the singles, and that's what they want to hear. So that's what he gives them. I'm not saying that that's what I would want, but it's a fact.

Daveram, believe me I understand that McCartney may never really change his setlist, my point is he could and he should!

The people asking for a setlist change is growing more and more, and you are going to hear it even more if he drags out the same basic setlist for his upcoming tour.  Here's one of the best views I've read by someone asking why McCartney doesn't change his setlist.

mikeskapla

Do people really think they will chase Paul off stage if he replaced obscure barely known Beatle songs like "I'll Get You" for bonafide blockbuster #1 hits like With a Little Luck, Listen to what the Man Said, etc.

Did I miss something and Paul's solo career was a complete bomb as opposed to him being one of the biggest hitmakers on the planet?

I'll take another crack at this point, everytime I do I get hit so I'll say this in advance:

It's kind of weird I think all those that get offended when people make suggestions or disagree some with Paul's approach to concerts. If people think Paul is doing his tours perfectly, good for them, their opinion is just as valid but not more so than people who would like changes.

And no I don't think its some sort of disloyalty to Paul if you disagree with his set list or that you are a truer fan if you eat up everything he does without question. I seriously doubt if I ran into Paul on the street, and I told him I'd love to hear more Wings stuff in concert -- he's think those damn Wing fan idiots, they aren't my true fans, its those that want to hear Let It Be and Hey Jude -- they are what I call my true blue fans.

Having said all that. I'll run with Paul's articulated thoughts on what he wants to do in a show. He wants to give people the hits. He likes to say when people come to his shows they expect to hear the big songs. He also wants to give a broad perspective of his career and give a few oddies to those hardcore fans like us.

Now I really doubt when people come to a Paul McCartney show they are expecting I"ll Get You, In Spite of All the Danger, Till There Was You, C-Moon, Let Me Roll It.

In terms of hits:
With A Little Luck #1 hit never been done in a major tour
Ditto Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey#1 hit, never done
Listen to What the Man Said -- #1 hit not done since 76
Silly Love Songs -- #1 hit not done since 76

Top 10 hits never done in a major tour: Helen Wheels, No More Lonley Nights, Juniors Farm, Take It Away, Goodnight Tonight

I really can't see people coming to his shows and saying look its a Paul McCartney show I want to hear In Spite of All the Danger and I know that song not that obscure Listen To What the Man Says song.

Or they say thankfully, he does Let Me Roll It on practically every tour becuase fans will be missing out -- who wants to hear any other track off of Band on the Run like 1985 or a hit like Helen Wheels, yuk! It's Let Me Roll It or nothing.

And yeah C-Moon is the quientesential track from his Wings period, everyone knows that one, not Silly Love Songs, or Listen to what the Man Says.

It's that sort of stuff that's puzziling to me. And yeah I know to some its sacriledge to question Paul's set list. For some weird reason we get hit basically for the idea that since we appreciate more of his catalogue then he puts out in concert, it means that we aren't as big a fan. Becauase his big fans should just suck it up and appreciate everything he throws at us.

Look I can just as easy if not easier make the case that we are the bigger fans because we appreciate Paul's whole solo career, not just Paul the Beatle. And yeah I appreciate seeing him in concert. I love Paul's shows and I just think they can be even more special where he can cater to his hard core fans without losing his more causal ones.

I am not talking about him doing Letting Go instead of Let It Be. But why not With A Little Luck (and BIG Wings hits) over obscure Beatle songs like I'll Get You?

Look i am not even asking him to do what MOST major concert acts do like the Stones, Springsteen, and U2 and change things up in the middle of the tour and keep things spicy.

Just do some big Wings hits, mix it up. Band on the Run is a classic album. And there are other tracks on that album for example that stand out, it wasn't just Let Me Roll It.

Ditto for example with Flaming Pie, great album Looks like Calico Skies is going to be coming for a round 2 and maybe the title track Flaming Pie as well. OK, decent songs. But those weren't the singles -- the singles were: World Tonight, Young Boy, Beautiful Night.

If you do Flaming Pie one tour, why not Somedays or Young Boy, etc the next one. If you are going to give the obscure fans a nugget like Let Me Roll It or C-Moon or a track from Flaming Pie. Why repeat the same nugget in the next tour or so, why not give a new one? It seems like he does just that with his Beatle songs but not with his Wings/solo stuff.

That to me is the odd thing about Paul's tours compared to what most artists do. And yeah look i am going to go anyway, great shows, I just think they can be made more special if Paul embraced variety.

Part of (in my opinion) what makes Paul's albums so special is he's eclectic and brings variety -- so it suprises me that on tour he's one of the more predictable artists. Great shows but predictable. And there is a context to my point, I have seen a ton of concerts so am making apples to apples comparisons to other big artists. And the larger point is it would be very easy for him to break the many years of predictability.

I've read many of these type views in different places, and they're showing up more and more, McCartney could and should change his setlist!

Bluemeanie I disagree, maybe some don't know, but most of the people at a McCartney show know his music, especially the #1 smash hits!  People know...
Silly Love Songs #1,
people know Listen To What The Man Said #1,
people know Juniors Farm #3
Uncle Albert #1
Hi Hi Hi - top ten
No More Lonely Nights - top ten
Rockestra Theme - released on album and DVD

I could go on, but people know this material that's how it reached the positions it reached, because people all over the world liked it, they bought the albums!

As I said, all those fans are still around, they haven't gone anywhere.

He performed Juniors Farm with Wings during the 1975 tour.

Why debate this now? Believe me, theres nobody that wishes he would do more obscure stuff than me, but its not going to happen. He's in his middle 60's now and he isnt going to be touring much more (if any) and he's not going to change it. I read Maccafans setlist idea and I got about as far as the first ten and immediately said to myself that it wasnt going to fly. 80% or more of the people thats going to his shows want to hear his solo hits and Beatle tunes. It sucks, but thats how it is.

And in saying that, I wont go to anymore of his shows because i've seen it all before. If he did play Maccafans setlist, i'd be there with bells on.

Tkitna, McCartney may not do the big world tours, but he has said that he will never stop performing live.  So as long as he performs live there's hope!

I agree with you about attending McCartney's shows, I skipped the last tour because it was just more of the very same, like you I've seen the Beatle heavy setlist, in fact I've seen it four times hoping the setlist would change.

If you and I feel this way, imagine how many other people out there feel the exact same.

You said people want to hear his solo hits, well that's the problem, he doesn't perform the vast majority of his Wings and solo hits, and that's why I included most of the well known songs in my setlist.  I included many of the singles that he has released over the years like Getting Closer, I've Had Enough, and Take It Away.  Because they were singles these songs are known.

They are also some of the best of McCartney's career, people would be thrilled to hear them live.

Also I didn't just start saying this, I've been saying McCartney needs to change his setlist for years!

I would basically do anything to have seen Wings in '75-'76. But I was born in 1987  

The last 3 concerts i've seen him play all included the usual, you know Let it be, Hey Jude, My love etc. It was a novelty at first... I mean opening with Hello Goodbye was awesome, I love 1967 for the Beatles and I was so glad he gave Ram's 'Too many people' another go but i'd dearly love to him try the likes of Juniors farm again and maybe some off Red Rose Speedway like 'When the night' - I mean he did Every night off McCartney during his UK tour of 1979 and just recently too so they're all there in his head. On that 79 tour, he did a few off Back to the egg (much under-rated IMO) Old Siam sir rocked and Getting Closer is as good as any. Come on Macca freshen it up a bit, yes the younger members of the audience might not have heard some of the more obscure stuff but on the other side of the coin, if they like it, they might well go and out and buy it.

JimmymcCollochfan, I saw Wings in 76 at the Seattle Kingdome the night Wings Over America was recorded.  Let me tell you, it was a phenomenal night, Wings absolutely rocked the house!

To this very day it's still the best concert I've ever seen in my entire life!

Quoted from maccafan

JimmymcCollochfan, I saw Wings in 76 at the Seattle Kingdome the night Wings Over America was recorded.

I thought it was recorded in several different venues?

I'd like to know from what venue the WOA version of Medicine Jar came from. It's an alright version but there are a lot better versions like the Rockshow and Wings over Seattle versions.

You gotta give the people what they want.  And I mean the majority of the people. And as others have said, majority of people want the Beatle hits and only the major hits he had with Wings and solo.

A few months ago Bruce Springsteen did a tour, and he always sings his hits at his concerts. Well this last time he did not, he played everything EXCEPT his hits, and let me tell you, everyone I know who went, were highly dissappointed with the show.  

So this is probably why Paul does the same songs, majority of the people to his show to hear these songs, and he wants to keep the money coming in and most of all keep the people and fans happy.

Heatherboo, I'll say again that's the major problem, McCartney isn't performing the majority of the big Wings and solo hits, I truly wish he was!

He's not performing...

Silly Love Songs
Listen To What The Man Said
Juniors Farm
Hi Hi Hi
No More Lonely Nights
Take It Away
Uncle Albert
Helen Wheels
Getting Closer
I've Had Enough
The World Tonight
Young Boy
Girlschool

These are just some of the singles and hits that McCartney has released over the years, why isn't he performing them, and don't say that the people don't want to hear them because it's the people who are asking why doesn't he perform these songs?

How many artist do you know that don't perform their own single?  McCartney has #1 smash hit singles that have never ever been performed live, I repeat #1 worldwide smash hits that have never ever been performed?

Why were they #1 in the first place, because people all over the world like them, so I don't buy that he's giving the people what they want, McCartney is giving the people what he thinks they expect!

People would instantly know all those smash hits if McCartney would just perform them, how many people would say, wow I remember that song, or can you believe he's playing this one, I love that song!  He would send thrills thru out his crowds if he would just perform this fantastic material!

Quoted from maccafan

Heatherboo, I'll say again that's the major problem, McCartney isn't performing the majority of the big Wings and solo hits, I truly wish he was!

He's not performing...

Silly Love Songs
Listen To What The Man Said
Juniors Farm
Hi Hi Hi
No More Lonely Nights
Take It Away
Uncle Albert
Helen Wheels
Getting Closer
I've Had Enough
The World Tonight
Young Boy
Girlschool

These are just some of the singles and hits that McCartney has released over the years, why isn't he performing them, and don't say that the people don't want to hear them because it's the people who are asking why doesn't he perform these songs?

Who's asking? A few fanatics on forums.

Quoted from maccafan

How many artist do you know that don't perform their own single?  McCartney has #1 smash hit singles that have never ever been performed live, I repeat #1 worldwide smash hits that have never ever been performed?

Why were they #1 in the first place, because people all over the world like them, so I don't buy that he's giving the people what they want, McCartney is giving the people what he thinks they expect!

People would instantly know all those smash hits if McCartney would just perform them, how many people would say, wow I remember that song, or can you believe he's playing this one, I love that song!  He would send thrills thru out his crowds if he would just perform this fantastic material!

Which No.1 smash hits has he never performed live? Maybe Girls School, but that was only the A-Side in the states. And I really can't see him playing Uncle Albert with the current band. At least 5 of the songs in your list were not massive hits at all. In fact, I'm really struggling to remember some of them.

At this stage, I don't care what he plays, I just want to go and see him play live! Please! Soon! (well, when I say I don't care, I mean, well, I do want him to play things that send those chills down the spine, but I think I'd also like to be surprised. But mostly I just want to see him play live. Did I mention that already?

Quoted from maccafan

JimmymcCollochfan, I saw Wings in 76 at the Seattle Kingdome the night Wings Over America was recorded.  Let me tell you, it was a phenomenal night, Wings absolutely rocked the house!

To this very day it's still the best concert I've ever seen in my entire life!

Wow! You're so lucky! Everyone who went to a Wings show in 1976 says that that was the best concert that they've ever been too. I know Jerry Seinfeld went to a Wings show in 76 and he also said that that is the best concert he has ever been too. The 76 line-up of Wings were on fire that year. All the members of the band had the charisma to really take Wings to the heavens. I'm jealous of you lol.

But Bluemeanie is right, WOA was recorded from several different venues. I would have thought Paul had a better ear for his own songs because I think he picked some of the worst versions of the 76 setlist and put them on WOA.  The definite best versions of those songs come from the Los Angeles show and the Seattle show which the majority of Rockshow(The Film) came from those two shows.